Drawing-board.



E. J. EARLY. DRAWING BOARD. APPLICATION FILED 1211.25, 1912.

Patented Dec. 2,

EARL J. EARLY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAWING-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application led April 25, 1912. Serial No. 693,169.

To all lwhom t may concern Be it known that -I,VEARL J. EARLY, a citizenof the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain Improvements in-Drawing-Boards, of which the followingis a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a drawing bo-ard with novelmeans for normally retaining a sheet or body of paper or other materialin a desired position; the arrangement and construction of its partsbeing such as to not only hold such material firmly and immovably inplace but to also insure that after removal from the board, it shalloccupy the same angular position when replaced thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel device forclamping one edge or side Vof a body of paper to a drawing board inorder thatsaid paper shall be firmly retained in a position ready foruse, the arrangement of parts beingsuch that the paper may be placed inor removed from its position on the-board with the greatest convenienceand held by means in no way interfering with the use of drawinginstruments, such as a T square or set square upon the surface of theboard.V

I further desire to provide a drawing board which shall include novelmeans for holding drawing tools, paper and the like, in order to permitof their convenient transportation, and which shall have its parts soarranged that a T-square may be removably attached to it so as to becarried therewith.

Another objectV of my invention is to provide a drawing board having anovel form of paper clamping device of such construction as toconstitute a part of, or be operatively associated with a movablestructure forming with the body or main portions of the board, acontainer for drawing instruments, etc.; the invention contemplatingnovel means for holding the container closed and retaining the clampingmember attachedthereto in its paper-engaging position.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l is a plan of my novel form of drawing board, showing it., withits clamping member in position to hold a sheet of paper; Fig. 2 is aplan illustrating the board with the clamping member and back in theiropen positions; Fig; 3 is a plan of the back of the board shown in Figs.l and 2; Figs. 4 and 5' are sections taken on the lines rf-a, bdo,respectively Fig. l; Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a slightlymodified form of that part of the board employed as a container; Fig. 7is a plan illustrating the construction of the means for detachablyholding the clamping member to the bottom of the board; Figs. 8 and 9are plans illustrating the front and rear faces respectively of aslightly modified form of my invention; and, Fig. 10 is a verticalsection of the board shown in Fig. 8.

In the above drawings, l represents the body of the drawing board, whichis braced or reinforced on its back face by two cleats 2, respectivelyplaced adjacent its side edges. The adjacent or inner faces of thesecleats are longitudinally slotted for the reception of a back in theform of a slidable sheet 3,

which in the preferred form of my invention, has connected to one edge across piece 4, extending across the space between the two cleats, theplacing of the grooves in said cleats being such that this back 3, whichis of some thin material such as stiif cardboard, fiber, sheet metal orthe like, is spaced some distance away from the rear face of the body 1.The opposite edge of this back 3 is fixed to a second cross member 5,which with the cross member 4, closes and completes the container formedby the body and said sheet.

To the front face of the cross piece 5 is fixed a clamping member 6usually in the form of a wooden strip of the length and thickness of thebody l and of any suitable width, it being noted that this clampingmember is so mounted on the cross piece 5 that it lies in the plane ofsaid body. For holding one edge of the clamping member G tightly andpreferably yieldingly against the adjacent edge of the body l, I mounton those portions of each of the cleats 2 projecting beyond the clampingedge of the body, some form of doubly inclined abutment, which in Fig. 2takes the form of a strip of metal 7, arranged to project in angularform on the inner edge thereof. For the sake of convenience, each stripis held at one end in a slot or recess in the end of its cleat 2, fromwhich point it is extended outwardly and then back at an angle to theend of the cleat; passing over this and thence down the outside edgethereof to the slot holding` its opposite end. If desired this abutmentor keeper may be given other forms such as that indicated at 7 in Fig.7,

i without departing from my invention.

For removably holding the clamping member 6 in place, any manuallyoperative latch, or other device may be provided, and in the presentinstance I have employed a length of spring wire mounted in the backcross piece 5 and so formed as to provide two fmger operated members 8.A spring coil portion 9 connects said members with two latch members 10which extend through or adjacent the cross piece 5 to the hollow o'rsuitably recessed ends thereof, and these members are turned over orformed to provide curved or inclined projecting parts capable ofengaging the abutments formed by the strips 7, in order to hold theclamping member 6 tightly against the adjacent end of the board body l.

There is thus provided a fiat container between the back member 3 andthe body 1, which may be opened by squeezing together the finger members8 so as to withdraw the latch portion 10 from engagement with theabutments provided by the strips 7. By means of said finger members theclamping member 6 may be then drawn away from the board body l, thuscausing the back 3 with its two cross members 4 and 5 to slide out fromunder said body and permitting access to the interior of the container.A sheet of paper may no-w be prepared for application to the board byturning over a narrow width of one of its edges at right angles to itsgeneral plane. Thereafter this narrow width may be permitted to extendover the top edge of the board body while the main port-ion of the paperrests upon said body and the clamping member 6 may then be approached toits holding position, whereupon the yieldingly mounted catches l0, afterbeing rst forced into the cavities in the cross bar 5 by means of theinclined parts of the abutments 7, are forced outwardly back of or undersaid abutments by the action of the spring coil 9. The parts are sodesigned that under these conditions the clamping member 6 is heldtightly against the narrow edge of the body of paper X which is rigidlyand immovably held so that its main portion may be used in the customarymanner.

By pinching or drawing together the finger members 8, the catches l0 maybe withdrawn from the abutments 7, after which the member 6 may be drawnaway from the board body 1 and the paper removed. A valuable feature ofmy invention resides in the fact that such a body of paper after beingremoved from the board, may be replaced thereon in an angular positionabsolutely the same as it originally occupied by reason of the aliningaction of its edge when gripped by the clamping member, so that anypartially finished drawing may be continued without the necessity forre-squaring or possibility of its horizontal lines being other than atright angles to the reference edge of the board body.

For attaching a T-square to the drawing board fork transportation orstorage, I cut away the cleats 2 at points in line with each other asindicated in Figs. 3 and t in order to permit the blade y of saidT-square to enter the container formed between said cleats, the back andthe board body, with its head y1 in the position shown. In order toretain the T-square in place, I provide a spring. clip or other suitableholding device ll, mounting this preferably on one of the cleats 2 insuch a position 4as to frictionally engage the end of the T-squareblade.

In some cases the cross piece 4 may be rigidly and permanently connectedto the board body, as indicated in Fig. 6, in which case the back wouldmerely slide into a groove in said cross piece from which it would beseparated when the clamping piece 6 was moved away from the board body.Under ordinary conditions however, I prefer the construction shown inFigs. 2 and 5, whereby any articles in the container are drawn towardthe head of the board together with the back as this is moved outwardlyfrom its closed' position. Moreover, inasmuch as the T-square extendsacross the space within the container, the cross piece 4f in theconstruction shown in the Figs. 3 and 4, would strike its blade afterthe back had been 'withdrawn a predetermined distance and thus preventthe accidental discharge of the contents of the container or thecomplete separation of the back from the board body which might takeplace with that form of board shown in Fig. 6.

While I preferably employ a construction of board having its paperclamping member 6 movable in straight lines from and toward the body, Imay under certain conditions so arrange the parts that one end only ofsaid clamping member may be moved or so that the clamping member may behinged to the board body and rotatable into and out of the planethereof. In such a case while the front of the board would have theappearance shown in Fig. 8, the cleat portion 2 on each side of the body1, would be connected to an auxiliary cleat portion 2a on one end of theclamping member 6 by means of a U-shaped piece of spring wire 12constituting a hinge arranged as shown in Fig. 9; it being understoodthat there would be the main and auxiliary cleats with their co-nnectingU-shaped piece at each of the two sides of the board structure. Inasmuchas the said piece 12 is made of relatively heavy, stiff wire, it at alltimes, holds the clamping member 6 with one of itsedges pressed againstthe adjacent edge of the board body 1.

In order to mount a piece of drawing paper on a board of this form, theclamping member 6 is bent backward out of the plane of the board bodyagainst the action of the spring hinge 12, and one edge of the paper isplaced in the space between it and the adjacent edge of said body. Onbeing released said clamping member is brought back into the plane ofthe body by reason of the action of the two spring hinges 12, and shouldthe paper be of any unusual thickness, said member and the board bodyare free to separate for a greater or less distance as may be necessaryby reason of the bending of the side and back members of the springhinges. If not previously bent the sheet of paper, after having its edgeclamped as above noted, may be bodily moved down into engagement withthe top surface of the board body.

In order to insert the edge of a sheet of drawing paper between theboard body 1 and the clamping member 6, it is not necessary to alwaysbend back the latter, since one or both ends of this may be pulled awayfrom said body andthe paper edge thereafter introduced into the spacebetween these two parts.

By means of my invention, the drawing tools ordinarily employed may beconveniently carried within the container provided at the back of theboard and the T-square likewise attached by mounting it in the cleatopenings, so that its extremity may engage the spring holding clip 11.At the same time it is possible to conveniently attach or. remove apiece of drawing paper in a minimum time without the necessity for thumbtacks or holding devices other than the clamping member 6.

' I claim- 1. The combination with a drawing board of means for holdingpaper thereon consisting of a member movably connected to the board inposition to clamp one edge of a sheet of paper between itself and anedge thereof; with a structure connected to said clamping member andcoacting with the board body to form a container.

2. 4The combination of a drawing board; a back slidably mounted on saidboard and forming a container therewith; a member connected to said backfor clamping an edge of a body of paper to an edge of the board; andmeans for retaining said member in a clamping position.

3. The combination of a drawing board having cleats along the oppositesides of its rear surface; a back slidably mounted on said cleats andcoperating therewith and with the board to form a container; a paperclamping strip connected to and movable with said back, and means foractuating said strip to cause it to clamp a piece of paper to one edgeof the board.

4. The combination of a drawing board; a clamping member movably mountedthereon; structures on the board forming holding` abutments; and springretaining means mounted on the clamping member in p0si tion to co-actwith the abutments to hold said member in position to grip a body ofpaper between itself and the adjacent edge of the board.

5. The combination of a drawing board having cleats on its rear surface;inclined holding abutments mounted on said cleats; a clamping member;and releasable holding means carried by said member in position tocoperate with the abutments to force the clamping member toward theboard edge.

6. The combination of a drawing board having cleats on its rearsurface;inclined holding abutments mounted on said cleats; a clamping member;and releasable holding means carried by said member in position tocoperate with the abutments to force the member toward the board edge;with a back connected to said clamping member and coperating with theboard to form a container.

7. The combination of a drawing board; a back coperating therewith toform a container; with a spring clip for holding a T- square with itsblade extending in position to prevent removal of said back from theboard, while allowing its limited movement.

8. The combination 0f a drawing board having cleats provided withrecesses for the reception of a T-square adjacent the rear surface ofthe board; a back slidably mounted on the board and having a crossmember fixed to it in position to be held from removal by a T-squaremounted in the recesses of said cleats, while having a limited movementrelatively to said T-square; with means for normally retaining the backin its inner position.

9. The combination of a drawing board; a clamping member mountedadjacent one edge thereof; a back rigidly attached to said clampingmember and coperating with the board to form a container; With a devicefor holding the clamping member in its operative position; said deviceincluding a handle or handles available for use in Withdrawing the back.

10. The combination of a drawing board; an elongated bar forming aClamping memher; a structure attached to said bar and guided on the backof the board to normally form a container; and means for holding 10 thebar adjacent one edgerof the board.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speoioation, in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

EARL J. EARLY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAn E. BRADLEY, J os. H. KLEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

